Cognitive Labs

According to a nationally representative sample of persons aged 60 years or older, metabolic syndrome may predispose to cognitive decline, especially when it occurs in conjunction with elevated C-reactive protein (CRP), new research suggests.

The findings add to the understanding of the association between neurometabolic disorders and cognition, said first author Zuolu Liu, BA, and their implications may be relevant to primary care, she said.

"The metabolic syndrome by itself was associated with cognitive decline, but elevated CRP was as well. The associations were very strong," said Liu, a medical student at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The study's senior author was Carol Lippa, MD, professor of neurology at Temple.

The study was presented at the American Neurological Association (ANA) 2013 Annual Meeting.